


A link to her past

by FanficFan305



Category: Pose (TV 2018)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-07-11
Updated: 2019-07-12
Packaged: 2020-06-26 13:14:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,437
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19768948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/FanficFan305/pseuds/FanficFan305
Summary: Blanca’s Aunt Alma reaches out and wants to make things right.





	1. Chapter 1

It was a lazy Thursday evening at House of Evangelista. Everyone had finished dinner together. Family dinners were more constant now than only on Fridays, but it was understood that if someone had a school or work commitment, they would be forgiven from being at dinner, and of course, Blanca would prepare a plate for her babies later on. The kids were finishing clearing the table and Blanca was in the kitchen washing dishes. The phone rang, and as usual, Li’l Papi ran to answer. “Hello. Moms…it’s for you.”  
  
Blanca dried her hands and ran to the hallway to take the receiver from her son. “Hello?” Blanca listened to the voice on the other end. Her tense demeanor softened as she listened. 

“Hola, m’hijita” the sing-song voice on the other end said. “Es tu tia Alma.” Blanca looked a little stunned, and her eyes watered up. “Hola tia!” She cautiously replied.  
  
Alma responded, “listen sweetie I want to invite you and your family over to my house this Saturday for a barbecue. Nothing big, I just want to have the chance to reconnect with you and I want your cousins to connect with you and your kids.” Blanca smiled, a teary smile, but held her emotions together. “We’d love that, thank you tia.”  
  
Alma continued, “I wanted to spend more time with you during your mother’s funeral, but I didn’t want to overwhelm you. Baby, we’re still on the corner of east 184th and Prospect. Why don’t you come over around noon. We’ll eat. We’ll cook. We’ll talk. We’ll catch up.”  
  
By now, Blanca had tears quietly rolling down her face. This was the first time, in a long time where she had a connection to her past life…a connection to her family, but it felt right. Her aunt wasn’t being judgmental. Her aunt was being genuinely loving. “Thank you tia. We will be there. I will tell the kids. What can I bring?”  
  
Alma responded, “don’t you worry about bringing a thing. You bring just you and your beautiful family. I can’t wait to see you.” “OK tia. Thank you. We will see you Saturday. Bye” “Bye.” They both hung up the phone.  
  
Blanca let out a loud cry and her emotions overtook her. There was a loud clank in the kitchen where the kids were cleaning up and washing dishes and the three ran to her together to see what had happened. Blanca had slid down the wall and was sitting on the floor. The kids stood her up and hugged her. “Are you ok, what happened Mother?” asked Damon, as he stroked her back. “I’m ok …it’s nothing” she said, as they walked together toward the couch. Blanca sat down and each of the boys sat on either side while Angel sat on the floor and clung to her mother’s legs. Each looked intently into Blanca’s eyes to see what clues they might give.

Blanca took in a long, deep breath and wiped her tears. She still sniffled. “Oh kids, I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean to scare you. That was my aunt. My aunt Alma. She is my mother’s sister. The one I saw back at the funeral.” The kids all exhaled too, collectively. They all understood what it would feel like to get a call from your past life. The life that had rejected you. 

“She’s reaching out to me. She’s making an effort to get to know us and connect with us.” The kids looked at each other and waited for her to continue. “She invited us to her place for a barbecue on Saturday.” 

All of the kids looked nervous and tentative and didn’t really know what to do. All they knew was that they needed to be there for Blanca. Papi broke the silence and asked. “You ok to go? You want us to go?” Blanca continued silently weeping but rapidly nodded yes.” Angel hopped up and returned with a tissue box for her mother and Blanca dried her tears and wiped her nose. Everyone sat there quietly not quite knowing what to say. Damon and Papi each slumped their heads onto Blanca’s shoulders and she nuzzled into them. Angel sat back down on the floor and rested her head on Blanca’s lap. 

Blanca slowly began to talk. “My mother had told my family that I had died. My aunt was warm and supportive when my mother passed. I’ma need you guys somethin’ fierce on Saturday. Ima make Pray come with us because I need you all. I don’t know what to do or what to expect. I’ma let a higher power guide me on this with you all as my backup to lift me up.”

They all snuggled in tighter to her and said nothing, but their closeness was all the confirmation she needed. 

After a few minutes, she got off of the couch and went to call Pray Tell. She explained the situation to him. He laughed and agreed and told her that she was just using him to be her banjee boy.


	2. Chapter 2

It was still early, but Blanca felt spent. She turned the shower on, full steam and the mirror fogged up. She slowly stepped in and let the hot water roll down her tense shoulders. She couldn’t mentally explain to herself why she was crying. Nothing bad had happened. It was actually good, yet she was uncertain. Perhaps her aunt has accepted her and crossed over from thinking of her as Mateo and now understanding that she is Blanca. Does Alma understand that she is not a man dressing as a woman, but that even when she was small and called Mateo, she was a girl, and woman? This is that piece that has Blanca full of worry and fear. Maybe Aunt Alma needs time and explanation. Maybe she will cross over and understand entirely. Will Alma’s children and husband understand and accept her and her children too. Only a few days and she will know.

The kids stayed in the living room sitting in the same configuration. They spoke quietly. Angel was the first to ask, “what would you do if your family called you out of nowhere after all this time?” Both Li’l Papi and Damon stared and thought. Li’l Papi responded first. “Well, I don’t actually remember my biological parents. I never really had any. From my first memory on, I only remember being bounced from house to house in the system until I just bounced myself out when I was 13. I don’t think it could ever even happen. I heard my parents were addicts. They probably aren’t even alive. Anyway, I wouldn’t want anything to mess up what I have now. In my book, Blanca is my one and only mom and that’s that. “ For Damon, his response wasn’t as cut and dried and easy as Papi’s. On the one hand, he missed his mother and father and couldn’t understand why they couldn’t accept him for who he was. His parents hadn’t been bad people to him, it was their up-bringing. His father had become violent toward him as his tendencies became more obvious. Would Damon be betraying Blanca if he chose his parents over her? She had offered him love, shelter, food, acceptance, guidance and support without questions and unconditionally despite not being the woman who gave birth to him. He knows that he would have never survived and succeeded had she not approached him at the park that fateful day. After running all of those thoughts through his head, he blurted out, “I really don’t know how I would handle it. I know for sure that Blanca will always be the center of my life. She is and will always be my mother.” Angel nodded in agreement and then she began to tell her history to her brothers. Angel had been forced to leave her house at an early age. She had to turn to work at the piers because there was no other option. The process wasn’t new to her, because her stepfather had begun abusing her as a small child. Her mother never believed it or accepted it because what would her husband want with a little boy. Little did her mother know that she was actually a girl, and that her husband was very much entertained by boys including others beside her. Angel knew that she needed to leave in order to merely survive. She too echoed her brothers’ thought and said, “Blanca is my mom and dass it.”

When Blanca finished her shower, she dressed herself for bed in shorts and a tank top. She used the cold cream on her face that Angel had bought her. She saw that the lights were still on in the living room and that the kids were in there together just talking so she walked out to join them. The boys made a space for her again in between them and Angel again chose to sit on the floor and lean into Blanca’s legs. They all sat and talked and continued the conversation that had previously been having. It is funny how much this simple phone call and invitation made them all think. They were hopeful for Blanca that she would again be welcome be a part of her biological family and that she would be accepted for who she is. They were all hopeful too that they would be accepted and included into this group too, because they are very much a part of Blanca. After talking for what felt like minutes but turned out to be hours, Blanca finally said, I’m going to need to reschedule my Saturday clients. I had a full day, but this is important. Papi, can you move your shift? “Yeah, already did it.” Angel had a major shoot, but it was only a four hour block shoot and she would arrive a little later than everyone else. One thing was for certain, Blanca couldn’t wait to have the chance to brag about her kids. Her chest swelled with pride.


	3. Chapter 3

Saturday morning rolled around. Blanca had a flan in the fridge that she had made the night before. Alma had told her to not bring anything, but she didn’t feel right showing up empty handed. Flan was a favorite childhood dessert of hers that she would make with her mother while growing up, so it seemed perfect to share with her family. 

Blanca was feeling tense. She let the boys prepare breakfast while she mulled over what would be right to wear. She wanted to be sure she presented right but didn’t want to look like she was trying too hard. Angel had left her two choices before she left for her shoot but Blanca was having trouble deciding: a pair of pink shorts with a lovely off-the shoulder top along with some strappy flat sandals or a flowy floral sun dress with the same flat sandals. Both were good choices for a barbecue, but she would have Pray make the final decision for her. 

As luck would have it, Pray came barreling into the apartment just in time for breakfast and helped lighten her mood. He had dressed appropriately for a gathering of his best friend’s family. He knew what this meant to Blanca and wanted to do everything possible to make it easier for her. He had worn a very sensible outfit for Pray’s taste. He had the ability to put a look together for any occasion possible. He wore white well-fitting Bermuda shorts with a blue button down oxford shirt and his sleeves rolled up with some sperry topsider boat shoes. If he were walking today, the category would be: preppy upper east side realness. She welcomed him in and kissed him on the cheek and smiled with gratitude at what he was doing for her. He wrapped his arms around her in a loving embrace. That was just what she needed. 

They all sat at the table and ate pancakes for breakfast. The boys cleared the table and Blanca and Pray went to her room to decide on the outfit for the day. Pray liked both of the choices. Angel has good taste, but he shot the arrow and chose the dress. It made her look casual and effortlessly feminine. He spotted a pair of Dior sunglasses that Angel had given her mother that she was able to cop from a past shoot...ahhh the perks of being the mother of a Ford model. 

Bianca jumped into the shower while Pray lay sprawled out on her bed listening to music. He was pumping Whitney Houston. She could hear him singing through the door and and lightened her mood a bit more. She emerged a little while later in a puff of steam wrapped up in her fluffy robe, ready for Pray to tackle her hair and face. Pray snapped out of his restful haze when he spotted her and said “come here baby...ima make you look so foine that your family ain’t gonna know what hit em. Sit down and just let these fingers work their magic.” He decided to style her hair in a loose French braid down the side that ended half way down to give her a relaxed, casual look. When he was finished, he helped her step into her dress so she wouldn’t mess up her hair and makeup. When all was finished, they both were impressed with how beautiful she looked. They walked out into the living room to meet the boys and the boys were shocked silent at how gorgeous their mother looked. Lil Papi let out a “whoa!” Then he continued, “mom, you are definitely going to need protection cuz you are looking fierce.” Damon just stood there and did the perfect sign with his fingers. She smiled. 

Blanca called out for one of the boys to grab the flan which had been packed in a Tupperware so it wouldn’t leak. Blanca grabbed her purse and Pray held the door open for her and the boys. Pray said..mmmm mmmm mmm don’t we look like Ken and Barbie from Hillcrest. To the untrained eye, the foursome could completely pass as a traditional family from the suburbs. If Angel were with them, they would have given the Huxtables a run for their money...and they looked way better. 

They walked toward the train and made small talk when they got on. Pray noticed how fidgety and nervous Blanca was. He kissed her cheek and told her she looked beautiful and steered her toward an empty seat.


	4. Chapter 4

When the train got to their stop, Blanca stood up nervously. Pray took her hand, and they walked off together. She knew exactly where she needed to go. As a small child, she did this walk almost on a daily basis. Her mother and aunt had been close, later that changed but she never knew why. Blanca’s aunt lives on the first floor and had a small garden in the back. They all walked down the hall from the lobby until they arrived at the correct door and waited until Blanca felt ready to press the doorbell. Pray continued to stand by her side and hold her hand. He felt her grip intensify on his hand as she pressed the bell with her other. The door swiftly opened and Alma was standing on the other side. She sweetly smiled and opened her arms for a hug and kiss, whisking each of the four guests in. Like a typical Dominican tia, she eyeballed each and everyone of them to read their detail and smiled with approval. “Beautiful. You look so beautiful mijita.” Blanca smiled and thanked her and proceeded to introduce everyone. “Tia, this is my best friend, Pray Tell. This is my son, Papi, the one I told you about who is studying business and photography. This is my son Damon, I told you about him too...he is studying dance on a full merit scholarship and is about to begin an internship at Alvin Ailey. In a little while, you will meet my daughter Angel. She is running late because she is at a modeling shoot. 

Alma stood there stunned in disbelief, impressed by all of her grand niece and nephew’s accomplishments but mostly impressed by her niece because it was obvious that her children’s success was the result of Blanca’s hard work and influence on them. Alma impulsively reached her arms out and pulled Blanca in for a tight hug. “Oh sweetie, I am so proud of you. I know your mom would be too.” Blanca cried and so did Alma. Pray wiped Blanca’s tears and said, “baby, you’ll mess up your makeup, you have more people to meet.” Blanca laughed at her friend’s joke and handed her tia the container of dessert. 

Alma ushered everyone toward the back where the rest of the guests were hanging out and grilling and talking. “Can I offer you a drink? Make yourselves at home. There is tons of food.” 

When they got to the back, Alma introduced the group to her husband Juan. He was the grill master, and what seemed to be the emcee of the party. He shook everyone’s hand and took everyone into a hug in the most natural and welcoming way possible. The kids felt comfortable and at ease immediately. Blanca was accustomed to always having her shield up, so she was always cautious but was trying to relax. Blanca saw some familiar faces from her childhood that were now grown like herself. As someone who was constantly accustomed to having everyone side-eye her, she was surprised that there was none of that today. Instead, people were coming up to her saying “prima, welcome” and reintroducing themselves. Blanca was gradually allowing her tension disappear.

The crowd saw a towncar pull up to the side of the building. Blanca knew it was her daughter. She called out to Alma to let her know and the two women ran to the foyer to open the door for Angel as the doorbell rang. The door flew open and Angel and Blanca’s eyes met. Ángel immediately said, “mami...it was such a good shoot. I wish you were there.” and immediately hugged and kissed her mother. Alma watched this sweet and sincere exchange of affection Blanca pulled back and said, “baby, I want to introduce you to my Tia, Alma.” Alma again opened her arms and hugged Angel” and called out to Blanca, “your baby is so beautiful...all of them are.” Ángel linked her arm into her mother’s as they walked to the back. She clung to her, feeling a little nervous. Alma took mental note at how happy she saw her niece and felt sadness at how the family had so easily discarded her and how she had survived and succeeded all on her own without the help and love of the people who should have been there for her. She mentally promised herself that she would end this and again unite her if she allowed it. Alma felt sadness and remorse at all she had missed from Blanca’s life. She thought of all that her sister had missed. The more she got a peak into her life, the more she felt pride and love for Blanca. 

Now that her family was all here, Blanca was feeling more at ease. Papi had brought his camera that he had been saving up for with him. It was his pride and joy. He was shooting and shooting images of his mom, candidly and would ask her to pose until she finally said, “boy you are getting on my last nerve with that camera.” Then he responded with a pout, “but moms, you look so pretty. I want to save this memory.” She smiled at him and put her hand on his cheek and laughed, and said, “I love you baby boy.”

The kids all started talking to each other and blending naturally. When the music came on, Alma’s kids began to dance, but then Blanca’s kids REALLY began to dance and everyone was impressed. After some music, Papi grabbed a football and asked who wanted to play. Blanca snatched both of the boys by the collar and said, “you be careful! I don’t want any injuries. Damon, you have a performance one week from today..not a scratch on either one of you.” The boys laughed it off and promised no injuries. Angel stayed back with her mother and Alma. Alma told Blanca. “You’re a wonderful mother.” Blanca smiled and thanked her.


End file.
